Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 54 : Chapter 54

Chapter 54 – Race Duel (3)
With Elder Behera of the orcs declaring war, the early phase of the 「Race Duel」 became utter chaos. Yet the fierce brawl didn’t last long. That was because there was one race insane enough to ignore the Arena’s customs and unafraid of making enemies of every other species.
The other five races were horrified by the orcs’ green madness.
The fighters were convinced—if they fought those lunatics to the end, then win or lose, dozens, even hundreds of them would die here. And none of them wanted such a hollow ending.
The 「Infinite Duel」 was a stage for the proven.
Most fighters gathered here had far more to lose than to gain. Who in their right mind would risk their lives fighting those green maniacs who feared neither death nor disgrace, just to defend their race’s pride? And besides, wasn’t this the first round of the 「Infinite Duel」—the 「Race Duel」—the one with the weakest rewards? There were still two more battles to come. Risking your life now would be sheer stupidity.
“Come on─! Come at me─!”
Exactly.
Only orcs, whose brains had been marinated in combat, would do something that stupid.
The deafening roar of an orc echoed through the forest, and the fighters of the other five races scattered in panic toward the outer edges of the 「Black Forest.」
Thus, the layout within the duel ground was quickly decided.
The orcs claimed the forest’s center, while the remaining five races divided the outer regions among themselves. Almost as if by mutual agreement, the five races fought only each other and never dared to approach the orcs entrenched in the center.
The reason was simple.
Lose to another race, and you merely suffer a bruised ego before being eliminated.
Lose to an orc, and you die—literally.
To lose against them wasn’t to lose in the duel, but in life itself.
Those mad green beasts would fight to the death, no matter if their opponents surrendered or begged.
“How amusing this is turning out to be.”
Thanks to that clear understanding, the orcs were climbing the ranks of the 「Race Duel」 without even fighting the other races. The audience, watching the live broadcast, found the situation fascinating.
“They’ve bought themselves time without being targeted.”
“Winning without fighting… makes it hard to call them dumb, doesn’t it? They’ve ended up in the most advantageous position.”
While the other races fought each other, the orcs—now deemed “too dangerous to provoke”—had not lost a single member since the opening clash. Despite drawing all attention at first, they were now the most stable group in the match. Meanwhile, the other five races were clashing and dwindling rapidly.
“Such a bold move—that’s why orcs have won the most Race Duels. They may be brutes, but in battle, they’re anything but stupid. They were born to win, and they live only to win.”
“Exactly. Orcs instinctively know the path to victory.”
“Let’s see how the others are faring.”
The five scattered races engaged in guerrilla warfare around the forest’s outer ring.
After the initial chaos, the 「Race Duel」 evolved into a full-fledged guerrilla war.
And among those clashes, a clear frontrunner soon emerged.
“The elves really do dominate this kind of battlefield.”
The 「Elves.」Among the five, they were the most outstanding in guerrilla combat. Born in forests and raised among trees all their lives, the elves demonstrated why they were called the greatest hunters among all races.
“Who could possibly beat elves in a forest?”
“Indeed.”
To fight an elf in the forest was like diving into the ocean barehanded to fight a shark.
The descendants of the Great World Tree, who had lived the longest in the woods, cut down the other fighters like children playing with toys. Their prey didn’t even realize they’d been attacked before they were eliminated.
Watching the others fall helplessly, one could almost think this 「Race Duel」 was boring—its outcome already decided.
Some spectators even said as much.
“It’ll come down to orcs or elves. Obvious, isn’t it?”
“How dull.”
But not many agreed with them.
“First time watching the 「Infinite Duel」, are you?”
Because—“The Race Duel hasn’t even begun yet, you shortsighted fools.”
The seasoned audience knew better.
“Just keep watching. You’ll see soon enough why this is called the ‘Race Duel.’”
The curtains hadn’t even truly risen yet.
“What do you mean…?”
“The orcs bared their fangs first, then the elves followed.”
“……”
“But among the seven races of the continent, none stand above the others. They all simply bear different kinds of fangs. Soon enough, the rest will show theirs.”
Indeed—this was no ordinary duel.
“It’s getting dark. Night has come.”
What they were witnessing… was the 「Race Duel.」
“And the next ones to bare their fangs have already been decided.”
***
Night fell, and we continued moving without rest, following Seol Yoon’s instructions.
“But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“I heard the Race Duel lasts for several days. At least three, possibly more. Are we really expected to stay awake the entire time just because of the Demons?”
That sounded far too harsh. Even if 「The Path」 granted us superhuman strength, pushing ourselves that long without rest would eventually break our bodies. Surely the other fighters faced the same concern.
Seol Yoon answered calmly.
“Yes. Even if it takes five days—or a full week—it’s best not to sleep at all. Everyone else will do the same.”
“Why go that far…?”
“That’s because you don’t know the Demons.”
She warned me with a detached, serious tone.
“If you even doze off once, you’ll regret not listening to me for the rest of your life.”
“……”
“Sleeping in the same field as Demons is like diving into fire with your own hands. I mean that literally.”
She didn’t explain further. So, while following her, I asked Liam.
“Master, do you know about the Demons?”
「All too well, I’m afraid.」
“Then is Seol Yoon’s warning justified?”
Liam paused, humming quietly before replying.
「My young descendant,」
“Yes.”
「If you’re curious about what Hell looks like, then by all means—take a nap.」
“……”
That killed my drowsiness instantly.
***
Our destination was the outer area of the forest. Our plan was to circle the edge, observe the situation, and act accordingly. But reaching the outskirts of the 「Black Forest」 was not easy.
“...They’re fighting fiercely.”
On the outer rim, several battles were breaking out over territorial control. It was a chaotic guerrilla war between the five races—excluding the orcs. And I quickly realized why the battle had taken this form.
‘So this is the snowball the orcs rolled.’
When Elder Behera declared war, the other races immediately gave up fighting the orcs.
Facing them meant putting one’s life on the line. Those mad green monsters feared neither death nor killing, so the self-preserving races naturally excluded that option.
Thus, all five made the same choice—to fight among themselves for the outer territories. And honestly, it wasn’t such a bad outcome for them. Losing here meant elimination, not death. But losing in the center meant a grave.
‘The orcs’ “strategy” was powerful.’
Whether by design or madness, one thing was clear: The orcs had exerted a dominating influence over the entire Race Duel.
Now, all they had to do was stay put in the center to maintain their lead. Even though victory was technically determined by defeating the enemy king, in a group battle, numbers equaled strength. And so, despite their reckless start, the orcs had become the most stable force among the six races.
‘The elves are dominating the guerrilla fights.’
The forest’s children truly were proving their title as “masters of the hunt.”
Watching them in action made me realize the elf I’d defeated earlier had been just a weakling—a mere novice. If a real elf had ambushed us, Seol Yoon and I would’ve woken up in the Recovery Room.
A chill ran down my spine when Seol Yoon spoke.
“Draw your sword, Little Gladiator.”
“Yes?”
“From here on, hiding won’t work.”
Following her words, I spread 「The Path」 in all directions.
Countless presences flickered into my perception, and hostility immediately followed.
“There’s no way around it—we break through.”
“I agree.”
“Little Gladiator.”
“I’m listening.”
Seol Yoon tightened her grip on her sword.
“If it gets too dangerous, reveal yourself as the king. Then other human fighters will rush to help. You’ll get immediate backup.”
“……”
“If you won’t say it, I will. You’re not allowed to die on a whim. I intend to see this through with you.”
If anyone else had said that, it might have sounded romantic. But Seol Yoon’s expression didn’t even twitch. She said it with pure seriousness.
“I’ll survive.”
Then came the rush of killing intent, sharp as a thousand needles.
And—『I swore not to be swept away by anything.』
The memory of 「Gale」 surged within me.
『What does it take not to be swayed?』
『After much thought, I found my answer.』
The voice of the sword rumbled through my head.
『One must not be bound by anything.』
『No leash can hold the wind.』
『No prison can contain it.』
…
『I chose to become a purer wind.』
Then, all the hostile presences faded.
The battle’s noise—the shouts, the clashing steel, the stench of blood—evaporated.
I slowly closed my eyes. It felt as if the whole world had vanished, leaving only me.
『The wind must be free.』
The voice of 「Gale」 roared like thunder. Wind brushed against my skin, drawing invisible lines in my mind. Not the “paths” a Sword Walker perceives, but the paths of the wind itself—The inevitable currents formed where all flows collided.
Feeling that, I swung my sword.
My blade did not aim at any foe.
It sliced gracefully through the air, like a sword dance tracing curves of wind.
Then I opened my eyes.
“……!”
Countless fighters stood frozen before me, their weapons tangled together in midair. At the center of that entanglement was my sword. I twisted the blade slightly.
A gust erupted—sending their weapons flying with a shriek of steel, as if a storm had blown through.
***
‘…Another strange trick.’
Seol Yoon watched Arhan’s 「Gale」 and couldn’t help but be impressed. From the moment he gripped his sword, he became a different man. For that brief instant, he was a wandering ronin with a straw hat. And his blade—its movement was so refined, even Seol Yoon struggled to understand it.
But she couldn’t afford to be mesmerized.
“Phew.”
She, too, had to survive. Clutching her sword, she faced the charging fighters.
Her style was different—a graceful blade imbued with Eastern elegance. As she swung, a perfect Taiji symbol traced through the air.
Following that arc, the enemy’s strikes deflected harmlessly. In the same instant, Seol Yoon’s eyes caught the glimmer of openings—Tiny dots of weakness that her sword’s 「Path」 connected to in her mind.
Her blade shot forward like lightning, piercing their vital points.
“What the—!”
It was a fusion of her Eastern swordsmanship and Arhan’s 「Needle.」A flawless defense followed by a lightning-fast thrust—Simple yet genius.
“Phew.”
Unless one was at least a 「Sword Runner」, they stood no chance against her in a duel of blades. Her talent was so radiant that even Liam acknowledged it, and her swordsmanship far surpassed Arhan’s in refinement.
But—“Fire!”
This was the 「Race Duel.」
“Detonate, all of them!”
Not every race wielded swords.
Each had forged its own means of survival—Some of them rather dishonorable.
For example—“No need to kill them ourselves—it’s night now!”
A toxic dust scattered into the air, seeping into lungs and inducing severe drowsiness.
In short, a sleep-powder attack.
“You bastards, you damned dwarves!”
“Cover your noses! Even a whiff of it and you’re done—”
It was the dwarves’ favorite tactic.
A dirty but effective weapon refined over ages in the Sky Mountains—Crafted by the hands of the finest artisans among the seven races.
“You fight like cowards!”
“Appreciate the compliment, fools!”
To the dwarves, being called dishonorable was just high praise. Soon, the pale dust spread like mist across the battlefield, and several fighters began to drool and nod off where they stood.
‘…Damn it—’
Seeing that, Seol Yoon quickly withdrew, covering her mouth and nose.
The next moment, a horrific scream split the air.
“───!”
A sound too vile to be human—a grotesque shriek that stirred revulsion deep in the soul. At once, Seol Yoon knew.
‘The Demons…’
The nobles of the night had arrived. And with their arrival, no normal battle could continue.
Frowning, Seol Yoon looked around at the dust-filled battlefield.
‘Where’s the Little Gladiator?’
Had Arhan managed to react to this sudden chaos? Hard to say.
When he fought, he became lost in the sword—utterly consumed. If that was the case now, he might not even notice what was happening. So Seol Yoon searched frantically for him.
And then—‘…?’
She saw something strange.
‘What… is that?’
The pale dust drifting everywhere—It was gathering toward one point.
No, it was spinning, as if drawn into a vortex.
Seol Yoon stared, momentarily dazed by the sight. Then, within that strange swirl, she saw something else.
‘The Little Gladiator…’
At the center of the whirlwind—stood Arhan.
No. Not Arhan.
‘Has he ever… looked that different before?’
There stood a lone swordsman, a wandering ronin beneath a straw hat.